Astronaut SpaceWalk
We’ve all seen the videos of the spacewalking astronauts on the internet. We’ve seen the ISS through a window in 4k and rocket launches that amaze the mind. But what is it like to actually be out in the vacuum of space with nothing but a suit and a visor?
It begins with a long process of pressurizing your suit to a suitable atmosphere. Once your pressurized and all gloved up you open the door. Depending on if your EVA 1 or 2 you exit the station and do a final check of the suit. At this point, the clock is ticking. As amazing as the earth is spinning beneath you is, you have limited time to complete a checklist of tasks that require a lot of your attention. As you work you face small meteorites, radiation, drastic temperature change, and you have your own personnel bathroom.
Your out there working for more than 7 hours on the things that you’ve trained for. The tools astronauts use are highly specialized. They have a drill that can be tuned while you use it. It's one of those things that needed to be overengineered. They helped put together the station, helped fix ammonia leaks, and fixed Hubble. All the while your working one side of you is cold to the touch and the other is hot. As time gets closer you clean up your area and make your way back to the hatch.
Once you make it back to the hatch EVA 1, the lead spacewalker lets EVA 2 in first. Secondly, EVA 1 has to close the hatch so he or she goes in feet first in order to grab the door. Once you're both in its not over yet. Once you’re safely inside the room has to repressurize. Taking off the suit is a two-person job so another astronaut has the job of making sure you're all checked off. This is the same person that put on the suit.
At this point, you have spacewalked!
